There are few things more important for life than water. As global water supplies shrink, an increasing number of people face water shortages on a global scale. All industry faces a similar problem in that most industrial processes require water to be successfully carried out.
Global Water Resources are Diminishing
COVID-19 reiterated how important sanitation is for good health, and at the center of this is the availability of clean water. As water supplies diminish, both quality and quantity have been impaired, equally affecting human health and industrial development. Industry is often seen as the big polluter and waster of water, yet with the improvement of technology and the incorporation of sustainability processes in the design and implementation of modern industry, it is in industry where we can see and realize the big gains.
Sustainable Production
For a sustainable industrial production business model, you must be able to use the available tech to green your business. Water is one of the principal areas of impact and the easiest one to implement. As part of your business sustainability planning and compliance with ISO14001 (your business environmental management plan), you must have a water-saving strategy.The four elements below should be included as a starting point; they are easy to implement and can be used to show both correct and safe water management as well as your green credentials as a business:
- Capture rainwater and store it in tanks.Capture, divert and store rainwater for future use. This will reduce storm runoff as well as reducing your municipal water usage. There may be some regulations and guidelines for rainwater collection in your state, so look into this before you spend a fortune on tanks and piping.
- Re-use wastewater. In keeping abreast with the latest technologies in water-saving, your business should use Oil Water Separator Technologies that are built to last to turn your wastewater into usable water. Used industrial ‘wastewater’ can be filtered, the oils and solvents removed, and the cleaner water then re-used for eh production process.
- Reduce pressure in all water outlets. By turning down the pressure, less water will be used by staff and production team ancillary to the actual production process itself. This is a great way to save water and will not be noticeable at all.
- Educate all staff. Use online campaigns, webinars, posters, and pamphlets to educate staff on the need to save water as well as the steps that the business is taking to make such savings.
As tech changes, so too will a lot of industrial processes, our priorities are changing, and so too must the way we manufacture and use resources that others do not have access to. There are indeed costs associated with looking after the environment, but these costs are linked to the sustainability of your business and, as such, an investment rather than an unrecoverable cost. Pollution costs: not only can your business be fined for polluting water systems, but a loss in reputation could very well cost you a lot more than this.